


You Don't Have to Ask

by HiddenOne



Category: Glee
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M, OC Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-22
Updated: 2012-11-22
Packaged: 2017-11-19 07:14:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/570621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HiddenOne/pseuds/HiddenOne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sebastian’s mother has died, and Cooper goes to comfort Sebastian (even if he’s his little brother’s ex-boyfriend).</p>
            </blockquote>





	You Don't Have to Ask

Cooper sighs as he steps up to the door and rings the bell.

The door opens and it’s Mr. Smythe, eyes drooping and bloodshot. “Yes?” he asks tiredly.

“I’m sorry for your loss, Mr. Smythe. I was hoping to see Sebastian,” Cooper says softly.

“Thank you, but Sebastian isn’t seeing anyone right now,” Mr. Smythe responds as he leans heavily on the door. “I’ll let him know you stopped by.”

“Look, I know that Sebastian has probably barricaded himself in his room and says he doesn’t want to see or talk to anyone. But I really think he needs someone right now. Someone he won’t feel guilty dumping emotions on,” Cooper pleads his case.

Mr. Smythe lets out a long sigh. “He won’t talk to me, anyway. But you’re not the Anderson kid he dated,” he says, almost making it a question. 

 “No,” Cooper agrees. “I’m not. I’m Cooper, Blaine’s older brother.”

Cooper swallows and holds his breath, waiting to see if he would be let in. He doesn’t want to explain why he is here and Blaine isn’t. It isn’t a complicated story but more of an unpleasant truth that hasn’t been spoken.

That Cooper knows Sebastian better than Blaine does.

 For example, Blaine is at home waiting for a phone call from Sebastian that asks for help, while Cooper knows that phone call will never come. And for some unidentifiable reason, Cooper wants to be here for Sebastian. He needs to be here – otherwise he just would’ve told Blaine to come.

Now may not be the best time to try to let this all come to light.  

Mr. Smythe looks at him for another long, silent moment before he finally shrugs. “I guess you can see if Sebastian wants to see you.”

“Thank you,” Cooper says and steps into the house.

Mr. Smythe shuts the door behind him. “You’re right. Sebastian sequestered himself in his room…good luck.”

Cooper nods and gives a small smile in acknowledgement before heading towards where he knows Sebastian’s room is located. He passes a living room full of what he assumes is extended family who are all staring at him in confusion before he heads up the staircase.

After a few twists and turns he is at Sebastian’s door. Cooper knocks softly, a knot forming in his stomach about what he imagines he’ll find on the other side. A few moments of silence pass before Cooper knocks again, this time louder. “Sebastian?” he calls through the door.

There is still no response and Cooper can’t hear any sounds of movement coming from inside the room. He tries the doorknob and finds it locked. The knot pulls tighter in his stomach and he pulls out his wallet.

He removes a credit card and inserts it between the door and the frame, right beside the door handle. Cooper leans his weight against the door and flexes his credit card. The door pops open and Cooper stumbles into the room with a sigh of relief. 

At first glance, it is empty.

“Sebastian?” Cooper calls, panic creeping into his voice.

“Go away.” The voice is muffled and scratchy, but the verbal response relaxes Cooper. It also tells him where Sebastian is hiding.

Cooper walks further into the room and around Sebastian’s king-sized bed. His heart aches when he sees Sebastian has squeezed himself in the two feet of space between his bed and the wall. He is huddled with his knees tucked against his chest and surrounded by crumpled balls of Kleenex.

“Sebastian,” Cooper repeats softly.

Sebastian finally looks up. His face goes from anger to surprise to panic. “Cooper! Shit…what are - what are you doing here?” Sebastian rushes out as he hastily tries to wipe the tears from his face.

“Hey, hey,” Cooper soothes, “it’s okay.” He quickly goes to Sebastian and kneels in front of him. It’s uncomfortable being squished by the wall and the bed, but Sebastian made it necessary. “I’m here for you,” Cooper says as he grabs Sebastian’s hands to stop them from attempting to fix his hair.

Sebastian looks down at his knees and asks, “What…what do you mean?”

“I…well, I’m here for you,” Cooper says. “For whatever you need. Whether it’s someone to talk to, someone to get drunk with, or someone to make sure you don’t do anything stupid. Or, just someone to hold you while you cry.”

Sebastian flushes and tugs his hands out of Cooper’s grasp.

“It’s okay to cry, Sebastian,” Cooper assures softly. “I did.” It was a small, white lie. Tears didn’t actually fall when he heard the news that Sebastian’ smother had died, but his eyes had definitely watered and he had _felt_ like crying.

“Right,” Sebastian scoffs. “You didn’t even know her. And whatever, obviously I _have_ cried. I just don’t like to do it in front of people so if you would kindly get the fuck out, I’ll get back to that thanks.”

“No, but I know how important she was to you. And I’ll leave if you want me to, as long as you come out from that corner.”

“Oh, so now where I have a breakdown is important to you?” Sebastian bites.

Cooper sighs. He hadn’t expected consoling Sebastian to be easy, but still. “You’re too tall to sit like that for hours and for all I know you even slept like this last night. You’re just hurting yourself.”

“Hurting myself?” Sebastian sneers. “What the fuck does it matter? She’s dead! She’s dead and now I’m a mess, my dad’s a mess, my whole family is pile of emotional crap, people keep coming by wanting to see us, talk to us, tell us that everything is going to be okay and how _sad_ they are and how they’re so _sorry_ and I just want them to shut the fuck up already! She’s dead! And nothing they say, and nothing I do will ever change that.”

Cooper weathers the storm, even leans forward to wipe away the fresh wave of tears.

Sebastian loses his anger, drained of energy. He rests his head against the wall and looks at Cooper dully. “So what the fuck can _you_ do?” He tries to growl.

“Be here. Make sure you’re okay,” Cooper replies simply. He drops his hand to Sebastian’s knee.

“You don’t get it!” Sebastian bursts. “Nothing is _okay_! Nothing is going to be okay! Nothing will ever be okay again because she’s _dead_!”

Cooper bites his cheek. He hates this. He hates that this happened, hates that Sebastian has to go through this, hates that he doesn’t know what to say.

“Just…leave,” Sebastian sighs. He wraps his arms around his abdomen and ignores Cooper.

“No,” Cooper argues. “I’m not leaving.”

Sebastian glares at him. “I thought you would do whatever I wanted? I want you to leave.”

“I lied. I’m not leaving,” Cooper replies with a bit of a smirk. He honestly doesn’t know if this is the best idea, if arguing with Sebastian and getting him to vent at least some emotion will help. It might end up with Sebastian ignoring Cooper entirely. But until Sebastian bodily throws him from the room, Cooper is going to stay and try to do what he can for Sebastian.

“Whatever,” Sebastian mutters. He goes back to staring at the wall, and Sebastian is now the exact picture that Cooper found him in. Well…shit. Cooper was expecting a bit more of a fight.

What he wasn’t expecting was for this position to be so uncomfortable. His knees ache and he is definitely getting restless due to the lack of space.

Cooper pushes himself back on his feet and stretches. He is surprised when Sebastian, instead of completely ignoring him, jerks his head up to look at Cooper. Sebastian’s eyes are wide and full of tears again, his face pleading, and yeah, okay, no matter what Sebastian may say he definitely wants Cooper to stay too.

“I’m not leaving,” Cooper assures quickly. He doesn’t know how much of his words are a promise. All he knows he wants to be here and fuck all who would think him comforting his little brother’s ex is weird. He’s staying. And bonus, Sebastian wants him to stay.

“Well you should,” Sebastian snipes without much heat, going back to staring at the wall.

Cooper hums noncommittally. He sits on Sebastian’s bed and contemplates his next step. Well if Sebastian isn’t going to voluntarily remove himself from his corner…could Cooper really screw this up any worse by forcing him to?

“My face is prettier than the wall,” Cooper comments while he puzzles through how to pick up a guy three inches taller than him off the floor.

“Congratulations,” Sebastian mutters.

 “Maybe you should try looking at me instead, then.”

Sebastian snorts and doesn’t turn.

Cooper sighs quietly. If he tries to manhandle Sebastian out of his corner, things will only get worse. He’ll have to try coaxing. He scoots closer to Sebastian and runs his fingers through Sebastian’s hair.

“What the hell are you doing?” Sebastian bites defensively, jerking his head out of Cooper’s reach.

“I’m trying,” Cooper explains gently, “to give you someone to lean on.”

Sebastian glares, not quite as powerful as usual with his red-rimmed eyes, and then turns back to the wall.

Cooper stubbornly puts his hand back on Sebastian’s head and cards his fingers through Sebastian’s hair. This time Sebastian doesn’t respond, doesn’t do anything besides continue staring at the wall.

It takes time. Cooper isn’t sure how long (at least a few minutes) but eventually Sebastian’s shoulders relax. It takes a little bit longer, and then Sebastian is resting his head on the edge of the bed with his eyes closed, Cooper’s fingers still combing through his hair.

“Sebastian,” Cooper says softly. “Come here. Please.”

Sebastian looks up at him and Cooper can see his indecisiveness. Cooper slides his hand down from Sebastian’s hair to cup his cheek. The touch causes a few more tears to drip down Sebastian’s face.

“Come here,” Cooper beckons, wiping away some of the tears. His heart hurts for Sebastian and all he wants is for Sebastian to let him hug all of his pain away.

Sebastian turns away again and Cooper hates himself. Maybe he should’ve simply encouraged Blaine to come here instead. Surely Sebastian would take comfort from Blaine in a way that he apparently didn’t want from Cooper. But God, he really thought that he knew Sebastian, that he could be here for Sebastian, that he could be…no, apparently he was wrong.

But then Sebastian is moving, slowly but definitely trying to leverage himself up out of his corner. Sebastian hisses as his muscles protests the sudden movement after an indefinite period of time of inactivity.

Cooper reaches down and helps lift Sebastian out of his cramped position. He pulls Sebastian onto the bed with him.

“Thank you,” Cooper says, keeping his relief out of his voice.

Sebastian grumbles something Cooper is sure he doesn’t want to hear.

Cooper rearranges both of their bodies so that he is sitting up against the headboard and Sebastian is next to him, head resting on Cooper’s shoulder. He wraps an arm around Sebastian’s waist to provide comfort and also so that Sebastian can’t roll away.

“Will you leave me the fuck alone now?” Sebastian whines but doesn’t move from Cooper’s grasp.

“No,” Cooper replies with a small smile. “I told you – I’m not leaving.”

“I finally have Cooper Anderson promising to stay in my bed,” Sebastian makes a sad attempt to joke.

Cooper hums in agreement, knowing the last thing Sebastian wants right now is sex. He suspects that it will remain that way until after the funeral. After that Sebastian will give in to the urge to attempt to fuck away his grief. Cooper also has plans to be around to prevent that from happening as well.

Once again, it takes time. The hand that is wrapped around Sebastian’s waist rhythmically strokes Sebastian’s side. Sebastian moves restlessly as his muscles reawaken. There isn’t a clock that he can see to even guess how long it takes. But eventually Sebastian curls into Cooper, even laying a hand on Cooper’s chest that grips his shirt. Cooper’s wraps his other arm around Sebastian, holding him there.

“I…I don’t know what to do,” Sebastian softly whispers into Cooper’s shirt. “She’s gone. And I just…don’t know anymore.”

Cooper presses his lips to the top of Sebastian’s head. He can feel his shirt getting soaked through with the fresh wave of Sebastian’s tears, but he barely notices.

He doesn’t know what to say. He can’t say ‘it’s okay,’ because it isn’t. He can’t say ‘everything will be alright,’ because it won’t. He can’t say ‘I’m sorry,’ because it is the last thing Sebastian wants to hear. So he simply hums some tune he can’t even remember where it comes from and runs a hand up and down Sebastian’s back.

“She used to sing to me,” Sebastian shares with a rough voice, “when I was a kid. She used to sing me to sleep. It was one of the reasons I joined the Warblers. Because I knew she would love that. She always came to every concert.”

Cooper takes in the information. He continues to hold Sebastian, give him some means of comfort as Sebastian occasionally shares some story that pops into his head. Mostly it is silence that Cooper sometimes fills with some random tune.

After an extended period of quiet, Cooper is sure that Sebastian has fallen asleep as his body is lax and breathing rhythmic. Cooper is relieved that Sebastian can rest, and now so can he. He had wanted to be here for Sebastian, and now he is. He doesn’t regret his decision at all and is immensely glad that he was able to coax Sebastian out of his corner. When Sebastian wakes up he might have to convince Sebastian to lean on him all over again, but Cooper will do whatever necessary to accomplish that. Now that he knows it’s possible, he won’t give up.

Because fuck, this boy is beautiful, even with bloodshot, red-rimmed eyes, tears soaking Cooper’s shirt, and stubbornly refusing to leave his corner.

Cooper’s phone then starts vibrating. He gently pulls an arm away from Sebastian and quickly goes to silence it. Sebastian doesn’t stir, which Cooper is grateful for. He looks at his phone, and it’s an incoming call from Blaine.

He hesitates for only a moment before declining the call. He then softly kisses Sebastian’s hair again, almost protectively, and promises himself that he isn’t leaving.


End file.
